Strengths and Weaknesses of Search

If a search engine can only use keywords to look over webpages, what effects does this have? Explore how keywords are better for simple questions, and their deficiencies for deeper ones (e.g. Where is Rome? vs. Are there patents covering this technology?). Also consider which types of information are not easily accessible, such as financial data and databases, and the result of substituting webpages. What might be the future of search?

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• C. Silverstein, M. R. Henzinger, H. Marais, M. Moricz. 1999. Analysis of a Very Large Web Search Engine Query Log. http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~almeroth/classes/tech-soc/2005-Winter/papers/analysis.pdf
• G. Wu, J. Li. 1999. Comparing Web search engine performance in searching consumer health information: evaluation and recommendations. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=226621&blobtype=pdf